At least 12 people, including 5 children, were killed in a massive explosion at a fireworks store in Hubei province, central China, on Wednesday, while celebrations of the Lunar New Year were on, authorities and state media reported. According to local officials, the incident took place on the second day of the Spring Festival, while customers were purchasing fireworks in preparation for festivities.
Firefighters put out the fire, and rescue work was completed, but all 12 victims were found dead at the scene. Some of them were customers who had traveled from other parts of the country to celebrate the holiday with their families, as well as the shop owner.
Police and safety authorities have started investigations to find the cause of the explosion in the Jinpu village in Yicheng city. Ministry of Emergency Management urged a strengthened supervision of fireworks sales and storage throughout the Spring Festival period, where crackers and fireworks are fired in many parts of China to mark the arrival of the new year and to drive away bad luck.
The latest firework accident comes after a similar deadly incident that occurred earlier in the holiday period, revealing the risks of firework use during holiday festivities.